Japan and the Philippines came to an agreement on Monday ( Feb 24 ) to strengthen defense ties in the face of an “increasingly severe” security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Japanese defense minister Gen Nakatani.
In a meeting held in Manila where Nakatani and his Spanish counterpart Gilberto Teodoro discussed local security issues, including the nautical situation in the East and South China Seas, the two ministers discussed maritime issues.
According to Nakatani,” The surveillance environment around us is getting worse, and it’s important for the two countries as strategic partners to strengthen our defense cooperation and collaboration to keep peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
Nakatani claimed that the Philippines and Japan have come to an agreement to improve defense cooperation, foster high-level strategic discourse among its defense, and increase information sharing.
Security ties between the two US allies have increased over the past two years as Japan and the Philippines discuss issues about China’s assertiveness in the region.
A location military alliance between Manila and Tokyo, which allowed the deployment of their causes on one another’s ground, was signed last year.